1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to installation techniques whereby resilient sheet flooring having a decorative wear layer formed of a thermoplastic resin-containing composition is installed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been recognized that a great number of variables affect the dimensional stability of commercial thermoplastic vinyl resin-containing decorative sheet floor coverings, especially those provided with porous felt backings, which act to retain stresses built into the thermoplastic wear layer. Various methods have been attempted to reduce the stresses (see for instance U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,001) or to take advantage of the stresses built into the thermoplastic wear layer (see for instance U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,178). In accordance with the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,178, it has been recognized that commercial thermoplastic vinyl resin-containing decorative sheet floor coverings, which are formed by bonding thermoplastic compositions to felt backings under heat and pressure, exhibit marked tendencies to shrink on cooling in both the machine and across-machine directions. Thus, it has been proposed to affix these floorings to the surfaces to be covered by adhesively securing the porous backing of the plastic sheet flooring to the substrate at the perimeter of the porous backing layer using an adhesive which forms a permanent bond under the condition of floor use, thus holding the thermoplastic wear layer under restraint such that the wear layer on shrinking remains both buckle and wrinkle-free after installation.